The invention relates to a cable-junction enclosure of the type adapted for burial to accommodate spliced ends of buried cables having buried entry to the enclosure.
As optical-fiber communication cable comes into increasing use, it is becoming increasingly apparent that prior techniques of accommodating multiple-line cable splices are simply inadequate to the accommodation of optical-fiber cable junctions. The fibers are brittle, and any kink involving less than the cable-manufacturer's specification for minimum-bend radius will render the cable unfit for use. Typically, buried multiple-line optical-fiber cable will contain 4 to 12 single-mode independent fibers; the cable may or may not be armored, for electrical gounding and/or for protection against rodents, and cable diameter is in the 1/2" to 5/8" range. For such cable, the manufacturer may specify a minimum radius of curl, such as not to exceed 10 inches.
Additional to consideration for minimum radius of curl, it is desirable to provide flexibility in the mounting of the splice case by which corresponding lines (fibers) of the respective cable ends are connected and rendered accessible for servicing, preferably at a nearby maintenance vehicle.